Zen and the art of getting closest to the jack. Buckingham Bowls Club, New Town. March 2011. I used to play bowls once. It’s a fine game, but – as with most sports – very much dependent on the selection of your team mates. Give me uncoordinated and generally useless – but pleasant – colleagues over skilled, talented and hungry – but aggravating – contemporaries any day of the week. Except Saturdays. Saturdays are serious.